Sand discharge pipe connection



Och 1968 v. FRANTZ 3,404,903

SAND DISCHARGE PIPE CONNECTION Filed March 15, 1966 FIG. 3

Inventor:

Virgil L. Frantz his Attorney 3,404,903 SAND DISCHARGE PIPE CONNECTION Virgil L. Frantz, Salem, Va., assignor to Graham-White Sales Corporation, Salem, Va., a corporation of Virginia Filed Mar. 15, 1966, Ser. No. 534,301 10 Claims. (Cl. 285-24) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A releasable connection between a discharge pipe and an outlet port of a locomotive sander combining a union on the pipe and fittable over the port and having side flanges at opposite sides of the port wtih a stud secured to the sander and slidably interlockable with one of the side flanges and a bolt extending through the other flange and threadable into the sander, the bolt mounting a handle for manual actuation and being carried against accidental removal by the union on disconnection thereof from the sander.

This invention relates to sanding systems for railway locomotives and has for its primary object the provision of an improved connection between a sander and a sand discharge pipe whereby the pipe can be connected and disconnected without using tools.

I United States Patent Another object of the invention is to provide a connection for connecting a sand discharge pipe which not only requires no tools but enables the pipe and sander to be connected and disconnected quickly by manual actuation of a single bolt.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a sand discharge pipe connection wherein the pipe and a sander are connected by a flanged union on the end of the pipe and pressure applied by a single spring suffices to maintain a tight seal between the union and the sander.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sand discharge pipe connection which not only enables the pipe and a sander to be connected and disconnected by manual manipulation of a single bolt but is of such construction and arrangement as to prevent both sand from fouling a hole for the bolt in the sander and accidental loss of the bolt on disconnection thereof with the pipe.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter in the detailed description, be particularly pointed out in the appended claims and be illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a locomotive sander assembly including a preferred embodiment of the improved discharge pipe connection of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view of the assembly of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along lines 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

Referring now in detail to the drawings in which like reference characters designate like parts, the improved sand discharge pipe connection of this invention, which was disclosed generally in my copending application Ser. No. 397,802, filed Sept. 1, 1964, and now Patent No. 3,- 245,592 has been applied for purposes of illustration to a sander assembly which in the main is similar to the assembly disclosed in that application.

Designated as 1, the illustrated sand assembly includes a sander or sand trap 2 having a body or housing 3 containing a sand chamber 4 from which sand is discharged during a sanding operation though an outlet port 5 in the outlet end 6 of the body. As in a conventional sander assembly, sand from the outlet port 5 is discharged into a sand discharge or delivery pipe 7, through which it is carried to a rail (not shown) by compressed air obtained from a suitable source (not shown) and applied to sand from the chamber 4 through an air discharge pipe 8 in the body 3 and projecting into the substantially coterminus outwardly with the outlet port. Sand from an overlying sand box or dome (not shown) is supplied by gravity to the sand chamber 4 through a sand cut-off 9 mounted on the upper or sand inlet end 10 of the body 3, the particular sand cut-off illustrated being of the type disclosed in the above-mentioned application. A clean-out plug 11 in the bottom of the body 3 affords access for periodic cleaning of the sand chamber 4.

The particular subject matter of this invention is an improved connection or coupling 12 which enables the discharge pipe 7 to be connected to and disconnected from the outlet .port 5 of the sander 2 'without the use of tools. The improved connection 12 is comprised of a flanged union, connector or fitting having a collar or sleeve 14 and a central bore 15 extending longitudinally or axially through the collar and receiving or having threaded into its outer end and adjoining or inner end of the discharge pipe 7. To minimize turbulence in the flow of sand and air from the outlet port 5 into the discharge pipe 7, the latter preferably extends only part-way through the bore 15 and the front portion 16 of the bore, forwardly of the pipe, forms a smooth-surfaced cylindrical connecting or transition passage concentric with and of the same diameter as the outlet port and the inside of the pipe.

On'the front or inner end portion of the union 13 and facing a vertically directed end surface 17 on the outlet end 6 of the body 3 of the sander 2, are a pair of side, Wing or upper and lower flanges 18 and 19, respectively, which project or extend oppositely, laterally, radially or vertically from the collar 14 and, with the collar, present at or on the front end 20 of the union, a front or inner face or surface 21 confronting the end surface on the sander. While in the illustrated embodiment, the end surface 17 on the body 3 and confronting front face 21 of the union 13, as a whole are substantially or generally flat, it is desirable that at least the central portions 22 of the end surface and 23 of the front face, immediately surrounding, respectively, the outlet port 5 and bore 15, be flat or planar, so as to have surface engagement and close the joint 24 therebetween when the union is in connected position. During a sanding operation, the joint 24 is sealed against escape of air by an O-ring or other suitable annular gasket 25 inset in one and engaging the other of the central portions 22 and 23, the illustrated gasket conveniently seating in an annular groove 26 in the unions front face 21 about or surrounding its central portion 23 and seating against the central portion 22 on the end surface 17.

The union 13 is connected to the body 3 by two bolts, each of which extends through one of the flanges 18 and 19 and is threaded into the body. However, instead of the usual tool-actuated bolts, one of the attaching bolts, here the upper, is a headed stud 27 permanently attached or secured to the body 3 with its head 28 spaced a predetermined distance outwardly from the end surface 17 thereon. The other bolt, here the lower, is a handled bold carrying or mounting in its head 30, outwardly of or beyond a downward or lower extension 31 of the collar 14 backing the lower flange 19, an axially slidable, knob-ended, vice-type handle 32. For slidably engaging and interlocking with the stud 27, the upper flange 18 on the union 13 is bifurcated or slotted by an upwardly, laterally or radially opening slot 33 of a width to slidably receive the inwardly shouldered, smooth outer portion 34 of the stem 35 of the stud and having at its inner end a cylindrically concave seat 36 in which the stem fits snugly. Bevelled or outwardly curved, as at 37, along their inner faces toward their outer ends to facilitate insertion under the head 28 of the stud 27, the jaws 38 on the upper flange 18 bounding the slot 33 are substantially equal in thickness to the spacing of the studs head 28 from the end surface 17 so as to be held therebetween when the stud is fully seated in the slot.

The lower handled or manually actuatable bolt 29 has on its stem 39 a threaded inner or front end portion and an adjoining, relatively reduced, smooth-surfaced intermediate portion or neck 41. Conversely, the aperture 42 extending longitudinally through the lower flange 19 and its backing 31, parallel to the bore 15, has a smooth-bored inner portion, socket or pocket 43 of a depth to receive or accommodate and a diameter to pass the threaded end portion 40 of the bolt and a threaded outer portion 44 which, while slidably receiving the neck 41 of the bolt, will threadedly engage the bolts threaded end portion 40 and pass the latter portion only when the bolt is turned. Thus held against accidental removal in the union 13 when the latter is disconnected from the body 3, and with its threaded end portion 40 retractable into the socket 43 during connection, so as not to interfere with sliding of the upper flange 18 onto the stud 27, the handled or release bolt 29, when the union 13 is fully connected to the body 3, has its threaded end portion threaded or screwed into a countersunk opening or aperture 45 axially aligned with the aperture 42 and extending longitudinally through a depending flange 46 on the body 3 below the outlet port 5. A coil spring 47 around or encircling the stem 39 of the removable bolt 29 and compressed bet-ween the bolts head 30 and the outer end 48 of the union 13 as the bolt is screwed into the aperture 45 in the body 3, applies spring pressure to hold the central portions 22 and 23 of the confronting surfaces 17 and 21 on the union and body in engagement under service shocks and, by having a square cross-section, also acts as a lock nut to prevent loosening of the bolt under the same shocks.

Since the disclosed rigid discharge pipe 7 is rigid and does not have the flexibility normally required in the line leading from the sander 2 to the track, that flexibility will usually be supplied by making the rigid pipe of relatively short length and connecting its outer end to a flexible hose (not shown) leading from it to the track. Once this connection is made, the connection and disconnection of the union 13 and body 3 involves only turning of the handle 32 of the bolt 29 to screw the latter into or out of the aperture 45 and sliding of the slotted upper flange 18 into and out of engagement with the stud 27. As indicated, some clearance is desirable between the flanges 1'8 and 19 and the end surface 17 on the bod 3, when the union 13 is fully connected, so as to ensure against interference at those points with closing of the joint 24 between the central portions 22 and 23 of that surface and the front face 21 on the union. So long as that joint is tight, sand cannot escape through it but on disconnection of the union 13, some sand usually will fall from the outlet port 5. It is at this time that the smooth-surfaced countersink 49 at the entrance to the aperture 45 comes into play in presenting in its bottom portion a deflector for deflecting any such sand away from the aperture so that it cannot enter and clog the threads and consequently interfere with subsequent connection of the union 13.

From the above detailed description it will be apparent that there has been provided an improved connection for connecting a discharge pipe to a sander which requires no tools and only the manual manipulation of a single bolt. It should be understood that the described and disclosed embodiment is merely exemplary of the invention and that all modifications are intended to be included that do not depart from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A releasable conectionfor connecting a sand discharge pipe to a sand outlet port in an outlet end of a locomotive sander, comprising, a headed bolt secured at one side of said port to said sander and having a fixed head at a predetermined spacing from said outlet end, said sander having in said outlet end at an opposite side of said port a threaded opening, a flanged union having a bore receiving an end of said pipe and aligning in connected position with said port, side flanges on said union one slidable under said head and slotted to receive a stem of said bolt for slidably interlocking therewith, and manually actuatable bolt means extending through the other flange and threadable into said opening in said sander.

2. A releasable connection according to claim 1 wherein the bolt means is carried against accidental removal by the union on disconnection thereof from the sander.

3. A releasable connection according to claim 1 including spring means acting on connection of the union and sander between outer ends of the union and bolt means for pressing a front end of the union against the outlet end of the sander.

4. A releasable connection according to claim 3 wherein the spring means is of rectangular cross-section and also acts as a lock nut for preventing loosening of the bolt means under service shocks.

5. A releasable connection according to claim 3, wherein the headed bolt is a stud threaded into said sander.

6. A releasable connection according to claim 5, wherein the bolt means includes a bolt threadable into said threaded opening in the sander and when unthreaded therefrom retractable rearwardly into a forwardly opening socket in the union out-of-the-way of sliding of the slotted flange into and out of interlocking engagement with the stud and a handle mounted against accidental removal on and shiftable radially of said bolt for manual actuation thereof.

7. A releasable connection according to claim 6 wherein the last named bolt has on its stem a threaded inner end portion and a relatively reduced intermediate portion, and the socket in the union is the inner portion of an aperture therethrough through which the bolt extends and which has a, threaded outer end portion slidably receiving the intermediate portion and threadably engageable with the threaded end portion of the bolt stem.

8. A reasonable connection according to claim 7 wherein the confronting ends of the union and body have flat surfaces respectively about the bore and the port for surface engagement on connection thereof, the joint between the flat surfaces is scalable by a sealing gasket inset in one and seatable against the other thereof about and outwardly of the bore and port, the bolt is threadable into an opening in the sander below the port, and said opening is countersunk for deflecting from and pre- Venting clogging of its threads by any sand falling from the outlet port.

9. A releasable connection according to claim 3, wherein the outlet end of the sander and confronting front end of the union respectively about the outlet port and bore have flat surfaces engageable on connection of the union and sander, and a sealing gasket inset in one and seatable against the other of said flat surfaces outwardly of the bore and port is adapted to seal the joint therebetween.

10. A releasable connection according to claim 3, wherein the bolt means includes a bolt, said bolt is threadable into said opening in the sander below the outlet port, and the opening is countersunk to deflect from and prevent clogging of its threads by any sand falling from the outlet port.

(References on following page) References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Berry 285363 X Farmer 285158 X Hewitt 285158 X Harris 285158 X Busby 292251 X 6 FOREIGN PATENTS 94,368 9/ 1923 Austria. 983,680 2/1951 France. 140,352 3/1920 Great Britain.

EDWARD C. ALLEN, Primary Examiner.

THOMAS F. CALLAGHAN, Assistant Examiner. 

